DIY Antennas, QRP, SDR & Ham Radio Projects from VU3DXR
The VHF/UHF section concentrates on 6 m, 2 m, 70 cm, and nearby bands, covering everything from FM repeaters and local chat to satellite, ISS, and experimenter‑friendly projects. You’ll find DIY antennas like full‑wave loops, bi‑square designs, Super J‑poles, collinears, hotel antennas, and compact mobile whips, as well as small transmitters, preamps, and SDR‑based handhelds suited for these frequencies.
Articles emphasise gain, pattern control, and practical mounting options so that your handheld, mobile, or base rig can make the most of limited height and cluttered surroundings. Many builds are optimised for simple materials such as copper wire, aluminium tubing, and PVC, making them easy weekend projects. Start here if you want stronger repeater coverage, better simplex range, or a more capable VHF/UHF station for both local and experimental work
The broadband butterfly (bi-square) antenna uses two connected square loops to deliver stable 50–75 Ω impedance, low noise, and several dB gain over a dipole across VHF/UHF bands. Simple bidirectional design requires no tuning and scales easily for 144 MHz and 430 MHz operation
Build a low-noise VHF RF preamplifier using the MAX2633 MMIC to improve receiver sensitivity and antenna signal strength on 144–148 MHz. Simple biasing and matching provide wideband gain for FM, repeater, and weak-signal reception.
The dual-band 144/430 MHz Square Loop Antenna is one of the most efficient and compact VHF/UHF antennas that amateur radio operators can build at home. Designed to cover both the 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands, this antenna offers excellent gain, low noise reception, and impressive SWR when constructed correctly.
Boost your VHF performance with the DIY 145 MHz Twin Delta Loop antenna. This technical guide explains how to construct a high-gain, bi-directional array using simple wire and a gamma match. Perfect for weak-signal 2-meter DX and satellite work without the bulk of a Yagi
Unlock extreme bandwidth with the UR0GT Broadband Avia Antenna (RW4HVN Mod). This technical guide explores the unique geometry that allows for seamless performance across Airband, 2m Ham, and Marine VHF without a tuner. The ultimate wideband solution for VHF explorers and monitoring enthusiasts.
A simple and effective 2-meter ham band sleeve dipole antenna design using a ¼-wave whip and a ¼-wave aluminium sleeve over copper braid.
Build the ZED dipole antenna for 2 m and 70 cm bands — a compact bent-element half-wave dipole with near-50 Ω feed, broadband VHF/UHF coverage, and simple DIY construction
The Faulkner FM Loop Antenna is a popular and highly effective design among FM radio enthusiasts and DXers worldwide. It provides excellent reception over the 87.5–108 MHz FM broadcast band and can be built easily using common materials. Despite its simple structure, it performs as well as many commercial indoor FM antennas
Have you ever wondered how tracking websites like FlightAware and Flightradar24 get their real-time data? The secret lies in a global network of volunteers who feed aircraft position data using surprisingly affordable hardware. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you how to set up your own aircraft tracking station using an RTL-SDR dongle and contribute data to multiple flight tracking services simultaneously.
Quarter-wave COCO antenna design for 2 m band: stacked λ/4 coax elements with phase-reversing joins for compact high-gain VHF performance and easy DIY construction